Melatonin Influences Structural Plasticity in the Axons of Granule Cells in the Dentate Gyrus of Balb/C Mice.

ABSTRACT: Melatonin, the main product synthesized by the pineal gland, acts as a regulator of the generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG). Newborn neurons buffer the deleterious effects of stress and are involved in learning and memory processes. Furthermore, melatonin, through the regulation of the cytoskeleton, favors dendrite maturation of newborn neurons. Moreover, newborn neurons send their axons via the mossy fiber tract to Cornu Ammonis 3 (CA3) region to form synapses with pyramidal neurons. Thus, axons of newborn cells contribute to the mossy fiber projection and their plasticity correlates with better performance in several behavioral tasks. Thus, in this study, we analyzed the impact of exogenous melatonin (8 mg/kg) administered daily for one- or six-months on the structural pl

SUBMITTER: Ramirez-Rodriguez GB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6337618 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature